Alison J. Ramsdell U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota
A Sisseton, South Dakota man has been sentenced to nearly 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and sexual abuse of a minor. The sentencing took place on August 26, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann.
Chauncey Allen White, 31, received two years and eight months in prison for the assault charge, followed by three years of supervised release and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. For the sexual abuse conviction, White was sentenced to 26 years and eight months in prison, five years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment. The sentences will be served consecutively for a total of 29 years and four months. Upon his release from prison, White is required to register as a sex offender.
White was indicted by federal grand juries on both charges in 2024—first for assault with a dangerous weapon in March and then for sexual abuse of a minor in July. He pleaded guilty to the assault charge on November 18, 2024, and to the sexual abuse charge on June 9, 2025.
The assault conviction relates to an incident on February 28, 2023. According to court documents, White assaulted his romantic partner with a knife while she attempted to end their relationship. The incident occurred in her vehicle at her workplace parking lot; White held a knife against her body and asked how she wanted to die. The victim escaped without physical injury but property damage occurred when White stabbed the car’s center console.
The sexual abuse conviction stems from an incident at White’s family home on the Lake Traverse Reservation in 2014 when he was between ages 20 and 21. During this event, White provided alcohol to two underage girls who became intoxicated and lost consciousness. He then raped both victims while they were incapacitated.
The FBI and Sisseton Wahpeton Law Enforcement investigated these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth A. Ebert-Webb prosecuted them.
United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell stated: "This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court."
The case falls under Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies (https://www.justice.gov/psc).
White was immediately remanded into custody following sentencing.
